Cub to Pup
by Anonymous13 B
Summary: A week after One-Eye's attack, Simba decides to pay a visit to Rafiki's tree. His decision results in some unexpected consequences...
1. Chapter 1

Well, it's time for the next story! This one is much more comedic than the others, kind of like _Dead as a Dodo_ or _Gender Bender_. Hopefully, this one will be as funny as those!

**kora22:** Yes, that was most definitely a reference. Remember when you made a couple references in _Battle in the Badlands_?

**DarthRushy:** I'm glad you liked the beehive idea. I needed to defeat him somehow, didn't I?

**Emerald dreamer96/the-mysterious-other:** Yes, I decided to combine my responses here. Mheetu is very fun to write in these scenarios. We might see him more in this story…

**Chu10:** Everyone seems to like Mheetu's scene in that last chapter! He is one of my favorites…And yes, One-Eye will get his revenge. Very soon, in fact. By the way, Ibada and Sheeta aren't finished yet. A mere punch to the ground won't be enough to bring them down for good.

**Greg M 94:** You noticed the reference too, I see. TPYMK caught onto it while editing it. I love little homages like that.

* * *

**Cub to Pup**

**Chapter One: Tojo's Find**

"Simba, why do you always drag me into these situations?"

"Nala, I didn't figure we'd get stuck!"

"We're not just stuck, Simba! We're hanging off a tree branch, clinging for dear life, or else we'll fall onto a bunch of sharp rocks before you can say, 'This was a mistake.'"

"But you just said it, Nala. And we haven't fallen."

"Argh! Just hang on!"

Nala reached with one of her back legs to wrap it around the medium-width branch, all the while being careful to not lose her grip with her front paws. Eventually, she succeeded, and moved on to her other back paw.

Once she had all four legs wrapped around the branch, she slowly rolled herself until she was lying on the other side of the branch, no longer hanging upside-down.

"I'll get you, Simba!" she shouted as she stood up. She reached down and grabbed Simba's left paw, and he quickly grabbed back before letting go. She pulled him up, and together they bounced down the branches as quickly as possible.

When they finally reached the ground, they panted so loudly it could be heard for ten feet.

"Never again," Nala scowled as she shook her head.

"You got that right," Simba sighed.

He then got up on his four paws, and Nala joined him. "C'mon, Nala! Let's go take a walk."

* * *

On a dirt path not far from some high cliffs, a honey-colored lion cub was trotting along peacefully.

"Ah, it's so peaceful out here," Tojo smiled. "Tama would rather go watch animals fight, but I'm more fond of this."

Tojo turned away from the main path and began to walk through the green tropical brush.

The carefree cub padded his way through the brush, enjoying the moment, until his paw made contact with something on the ground.

"What is this?" Tojo asked as he looked down at the ground in front of him. What he saw made him smile brightly.

It was a bird nest full of small white eggs, though what it was doing on the ground was anybody's guess.

"I wonder where their mom is?" Tojo observed as he looked around.

"Oh, well," he chirped. "Looks like I'll be taking care of them! I like the sound of that!"

The honey-colored cub sat down on his stomach in front of the nest, simply staring at the five little white eggs in wonder.

"How long will it be before they hatch?" he asked himself.

"Hi, Tojo!" Nala's voice rang through the air as the creamy cub walked along the dirt path, Simba standing beside her.

"Hi, guys!" Tojo called out. "Come look at this!"

Simba and Nala bounded into the grass, slowing their pace as they came closer to Tojo. As they peered into the nest, they stared at the cub.

"Well, it seems your bird obsession will be reaching new heights," Simba commented.

"I bet they'll be so cute when they hatch!" Nala smiled.

"Just don't let your brother near these, okay?" Tojo asked her.

"Yeah," Simba agreed. "I hate to think what he would do to them…"

"Well," Tojo exclaimed, "I'm gonna go bring these to Pride Rock. Would you please be so kind as to help?"

"Of course!" Nala smiled.

* * *

About an hour later, all eight cubs were gathered at Pride Rock listening to Tojo as he talked about his find.

"Zazu says they'll hatch in a day or two!" Tojo squeaked. "He says they're probably little bluebirds."

"Blue is quite an interesting color," Mheetu purred. "It contrasts well with red: the color they'll be by the end of the day." Mheetu licked his chops, and just as he was about to continue, Nala grabbed him from behind and placed a paw over his mouth, causing him to squirm.

"Everyone, can we make a deal to help Tojo take care of the birds and not let Mheetu here eat them?" Nala asked.

"Yes," everyone agreed.

"That's great to hear," Simba smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Baobab Blunder**

"It makes me very relieved that One-Eye hasn't shown up since last week's incident," Sarabi smiled to Sarafina. The two lionesses were in their usual spot on the rocks, soaking in the warm golden sunlight.

"I am, too," Sarafina nodded. "I'm just glad we didn't have to deal with that creep. I'm still really proud of all of them."

"I noticed your son was very excited about his own achievements," Sarabi purred. "His more… negative traits came to use."

"That they did," Sarafina agreed. "Of course, I love him, anyway, just as you do Simba."

"Why wouldn't I?" Sarabi smiled. "He's the best son I could ever ask for, and I would love him no matter what."

* * *

Simba bounded through the golden grass as Nala ran ahead of him. He was too busy staring at her from behind to pay attention to where they were going or what she was saying.

_She's so beautiful... even from this far away,_ Simba thought as he ran toward her. _I'm going to pin her yet!_

Nala suddenly stopped in the middle of the field, almost as if she knew what Simba was planning. A golden streak zipped through the air as Simba crashed into Nala, and the two cubs rolled and tumbled on the ground before Simba found himself staring up at Nala's beautiful face.

"Pinned Ya!" she smiled.

Simba smiled, his eyes half-closed.

"What is it, silly?" Nala smiled as she waved a paw in Simba's face. "Hello? Hello? Earth to Simba!"

Simba shook his head and woke from his daze.

"Wha-wha-what? What is it?"

"Nothing, Simba," Nala giggled. "You were falling asleep and smiling. How come?"

"Oh!" Simba exclaimed. "Uh, I was… dreaming."

"About?" Nala smiled.

"Me… and you."

His eyes snapped open as he covered his mouth with his paw.

"What about you and me?" she asked further.

"About… how we defeated One-Eye together!" Simba lied. "We were great together. We really showed that nasty cat!"

"That we did, Simba. That we did."

The two cubs then rolled on their backs and stared up at the sky for the next hour. As mid-morning set on, however, Mheetu ran up towards them.

"Nala, Tojo sent me here to fetch you. He has to go somewhere and he wants you to tend to those idiotic birds."

Nala got up, and as she did so, Mheetu walked towards Simba.

"Don't worry, Simba. Nala won't be gone long. You can go ahead and find something cool to do. If there's something you're really good at, it's finding places to explore. I hear Rafiki's tree is unoccupied. The baboon is out. Actually, if memory serves me correctly, he's with Tojo."

Simba donned his signature smirk, and waved goodbye as brother and sister walked away. After they left, the mischievous cub bounded in the direction of a certain baobab…

* * *

Inside an ancient baobab tree, a certain golden lion cub was rooting around, examining every bizarre item.

"Look at this," Simba smiled to himself. "These bowls are filled with so many pretty liquids…Is that me on the tree?"

Simba examined a small painting of a lion cub on one of the main branches. There was no question as to who it depicted.

"See, Simba? You're awesome enough to be drawn on a wise old baboon's tree," Simba smiled to himself.

He moved his head slowly to gaze at everything.

"I wish Nala was here. Then we could explore this together!"

He then ventured towards a gourd shell with a strange orange liquid that glittered from the little bits of sunlight penetrating through the thick leaves. Simba leaned down and sniffed it.

"Don't know what to make of it," he frowned. "It looks safe to drink, though."

He leaned down and began to sample it, lapping it up like cold fresh water. He licked his chops and smiled.

"Ah! This stuff's great! I gotta have more!"

As he lapped up the liquid, he did not notice as his tail began to get bushier…

* * *

An hour or so later, Simba was just beginning to wake up. As his eyes flickered, he got to his paws and looked around.

"I should probably go find Nala and Mheetu. She needs to see this place!"

As he bounded towards the edge of the tree, he looked down at his paws, and noticed something truly bizarre.

His paws were still golden, but were now mottled with black spots. They were also thinner and shaped differently. Simba flexed his claws in an effort to retract them, but he could not do it.

He tried to roar, but it came out not as his usual yowl, but as a yap. A bark. This was when Simba realized something was really, truly wrong.

He jumped down from the tree. He needed to look at his reflection in the nearby creek.

When he got there, he was horrified.

His snout was larger, his face was almost entirely black, and his ears were considerably longer.

The terrifying realization then hit Simba.

"I'm not a lion cub anymore! I've become a dog!"

* * *

Well, what did we think of that little offering? Tojo has his birds, Simba's still in love with Nala, and our favorite little cub has now become a pup, hence the title. I'm eager for reviews! See you tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

So far, everyone seems to find this story rather funny! Keep your hats on, folks! The hilarity will only increase.

**kora22:** That's definitely the moral of this story. I couldn't have said it better myself.

**DarthRushy:** Funny as hell, eh? Well, it'll only get funnier from here. By the way, would you have any knowledge of a village called Haiba somewhere in your country?

**Greg M 94:** Yep, Tojo's birds are finally here. And no, I don't think Rafiki will be very happy once he discovers this…

**Emerald dreamer96:** Simba is not a hyena. He is actually an African Wild Dog, like Snarl in the last story. If you type in "wild dog puppy," you'll see what Simba looks like now.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Good Dog**

The mass congregation of cubs at the waterhole were sitting in a large circle. This was unusual, considering they were usually grouped in a disorganized bunch just milling around. Now they were attentively listening to Ibada, who stood in the center of the circle with Sheeta by his side.

"Is Simba truly destined to be a great leader?" he asked them in a fiery tone. "Can he truly guide us through trials and tribulations on his own? No king can. A king needs advisors, and a great king needs an equally great queen. That is why I am asking for your support. Together, Sheeta and I can make Simba a great king. He may be the ruler, but we will be the real power behind the throne! Stick with me, and you shall all receive rewards!"

"What kind of rewards?" squeaked a small voice. Ibada looked in the direction of the voice, only to find a black-and-gold wild dog puppy wagging his tail as he asked. Ibada couldn't put his claw on it, but the pup seemed familiar somehow…

"Well, my curious canine, we will make sure that Simba can actually be an effective ruler. He's too dumb to do it on his own, you see."

Simba gritted his teeth a bit, but upon realizing everyone was looking at him, he began to choke.

"What's going on?" Sheeta asked.

"I choked on a bone," Simba answered, his head cocked to one side as his ears pointed straight up. "We were scavenging earlier."

"Scavengers will receive many benefits!" Ibada shouted. "If we keep our scavengers happy, they can be truly loyal allies!"

Simba pondered this in his head. _I'll have to ask Dad about that later, once I'm back to my normal state._

"What's wrong with Simba now?" the pup asked.

"Well, to put it simply: he's an arrogant, brainless coward," Ibada smiled.

"Hey! That makes ABC!" Sheeta exclaimed.

"Very nice, sis," Ibada frowned, mockingly clapping his paws.

"What makes him the things you said?" Simba asked.

"Well," Ibada began, "he hates baths so much that his cousin had to shove him into the waterhole, he scratched one of us on the face simply for making one little comment, and he only wins against enemies out of sheer luck."

Simba frowned, barely able to contain his rage. Ibada was enjoying every minute of this, even though he had no idea who he was talking to…

"Even with all that," Simba barked, "how do you have any proof he won't be an effective king?"

"Shouldn't that be enough?" Ibada asked threateningly.

"No," Simba yapped. "A king is not proven by such trivial matters."

"How do you know anything, puppy? You're not even a lion!"

"I may not be a lion," Simba smiled, "but I can beat one in a fight!"

Simba leapt through the air at Ibada, but the orange-gold cub overpowered him.

"Give it up, dog," Ibada snarled. "Cats are better than dogs."

"You're right," Simba smiled. "That's why I was thinking, why don't I become your loyal little servant instead?"

Ibada smiled and put a paw to his chin.

"That's an excellent idea," he smiled. "Now, um…what's your name, kid?"

"Call me Sparky!" Simba barked.

"Sparky? That's an odd name, even for a dog. Very well then, Sparky. Go and spy on Simba, if possible. He's probably with that dazzling girl he hangs out with all the time. If he is, try and kidnap Nala. That should bring him, too."

Simba wagged his tail and barked before bouncing off into the grass.

"I tell you, sis, that is one good dog," Ibada grinned.

* * *

After running for about five minutes, Simba stopped in a yellow field far away from the waterhole.

"What kind of crazy day is this? First Tojo finds those birds, then I get turned into a dog, and now I, the prince of the Pride Lands, am working for a cub that's been tormenting me for weeks!"

Simba then decided to lie down on his stomach, his pink tongue lolling out.

"I look ridiculous," Simba realized. "I need to find Rafiki to change me back, and I've gotta find Nala to help me. Add Ibada to all that, and I've got a lot to do."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Finding Nala**

Nala sat on top of a large rock in the middle of the Pride Lands, basking in the sun, its golden light making her shimmer and shine. Mheetu prowled about in the grass beside her, searching for little mice to torture…

"You should relax in the sun sometime, Mheetu," Nala dryly observed. "Or at least give the mice a rest."

"But I thought you liked being an expert huntress?" Mheetu asked in confusion.

Nala rolled on to her stomach and stared down at Mheetu. "Here's the difference. When I find my prey, I kill it quickly and eat it, like a normal person would do. You, on the other hand, like to carve them up over the course of five, or even _ten_ minutes!"

"Nala, I hate to break it to you, but the last time I found a really good mouse, it only took _two_ minutes."

"Argh! That's not the point!" she shouted. "The point is that you should give the mice a break and come sit with me. When you were a baby you used to be like that."

"Nala, you were but a toddler when I was a baby. Besides, why would I give up the mice?"

"Ugh! I'd rather hear you drone on about Vitani!"

"All right," Mheetu smiled. "You really should try to let go of your hatred of Vitani. She's the most beautiful cub I've ever seen, and—"

"Here we go," Nala muttered to herself, putting a paw to her forehead.

"—her wicked personality suits my own perfectly. Those blue eyes have an electric spark to them. It's almost… _shocking_."

Nala groaned. "Not only was that a _really_ bad pun, but I don't like electricity either."

"Why not?" Mheetu asked. "I don't seem to recall you ever being struck by lightning."

"Nah, it's not that," she sighed. "It's really that just I don't want to get electrocuted."

"Nor do I," Mheetu agreed.

"And I doubt we ever will be," Nala smiled.

At that instant, a black-and-yellow wild dog pup burst out of the grass, running towards them. Mheetu leapt through the air at the intruder, biting and clawing at the canine as he struggled to get free.

"Don't even come close to my sister, you bone-licking wretch!" Mheetu shrieked. "Last week I attacked an adult member of your kind and brought him to his knees. I shall do the same to you!"

"Mheetu, get off!" Simba cried. "It's me!"

Mheetu then paused. He knew that voice. It was the voice of the cub who would one day grant him all kinds of power. He immediately let go.

"Oh, Simba, I am so sorry," he stammered with affected sympathy. "I didn't know it was you."

"It _is_ me, Mheetu! Your little piece of advice got me into this situation!"

"Me? What do I have to do with you turning into a dog?"

"You said I should go to Rafiki's tree. Well, I went there, and when I drank one of his potions, _this_ happened!"

"Serves you right," Mheetu smirked. "Now I'm top cub around here!"

"Mheetu, just be quiet," Nala commanded as she approached Simba.

"Does anyone else know?"

"No," Simba responded. "I listened in on Ibada and Sheeta giving a speech on how I'll be a stupid king without their help."

Nala snarled in disgust. "Even after I knocked them to the ground, they still won't give up."

"I managed to land myself a job as Ibada's spy. Right now, he thinks I'm spying on you and me."

"Wait... say that again?" Nala asked.

"Right now," Simba repeated, "Ibada thinks Sparky the wild dog puppy is spying on Simba and Nala."

"You told them your name was Sparky?" Mheetu laughed. "Ha-ha! That's one of the funniest things I've ever heard! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Nala smiled at Simba. "We'll get you out of this. We just need to find Rafiki."

"Well, I think we should use this as an opportunity to get back at Ibada and Sheeta. Won't they be so surprised?"

"Okay, but we should find Rafiki, too."

"Deal," Simba smiled.

"Hey!" Mheetu shouted. "Are dogs good at finding mice?"

* * *

Well, this was interesting, wasn't it? Simba's been hired by his least favorite cubs to spy on himself…and to bring Nala back to them in order to lure him there. How confusing!

As always, don't forget to read and review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again! Before we begin, I would like to explain that a couple interesting things have happened. As many of you know, I have recently recorded ThatPersonYouMightKnow's script "The Haiba Mystery" on SoundCloud. I even managed to contact Niketa Calame about it yesterday, and she told me she would check it out!

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** I was indeed making an oh-so-small reference to our favorite electric cub. Brings a different kind of humor to it.

**Greg M 94:** You noticed the Shocker reference as well, I see. As for everyone's two least favorite cubs, why do I get the feeling they are becoming the Aibu of this series?

**the-mysterious-other:** I don't think Mheetu quite knew what would happen. I'm guessing he knew Simba would get himself in some sort of situation, but this was probably not what he expected.

**Chu10:** Mheetu really seems to be the breakout figure in this series. I like it!

**snheetah:** I'm glad you liked my series! I'm also glad you liked Khara and One-Eye. They will be back, very soon…

**kora22:** Yeah, Ibada does make Mheetu seem less evil, doesn't he? But trust me, there will be other psycho cubs in this series. Ibada will seem like a nice little kitty in comparison.

**Emerald dreamer96:** They are cute, aren't they? I think Simba is very intelligent, as demonstrated by taking advantage of his predicament like this, as well as his method of defeating One-Eye in the last story.

**simbaanaya:** Yeah it was, wasn't it?

**i won't tell:** Thank you. I'm glad you like this story.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Searching for the Gang**

Back at Pride Rock, Chumvi, Kula, Tama, Malka and Zazu sat guarding the nest of eggs.

"I wonder when Tojo will be back?" Malka asked. "He and Rafiki have been gone for a while."

"Your friend wants to learn all he can about the big responsibility of taking care of baby birds," Zazu explained. "Though I'm not sure why he would go to a baboon when he could talk to me, a bird, about it."

"No offense, Zazu," Kula answered, "but I think Rafiki's a little more tuned in to nature than you are. You're more interested in politics."

"I am the king's majordomo," Zazu smiled as he put a wing to his chest. "Why_ wouldn't_ I be?"

"Did he just say he was the king's major dodo?" Chumvi asked Kula in a whisper.

"Major_domo_, stupid," Tama hissed.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Zazu smiled, "I should know from experience that taking care of baby birds is a _big_ responsibility. Why, when I was but a hatchling myself, I…"

* * *

Simba, Nala and Mheetu crept slowly through the grass, not wanting to be seen by the other animals.

"If the prey animals see me like this," Simba panted, "they'll never take me seriously as a king!"

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic," Nala scoffed. "If we don't let them see you, we don't have to worry."

"Yeah," Mheetu smiled. "It's not as if you'll be any less of a—"

"Mheetu, don't," Nala frowned. "Let's just get this over with."

A female antelope walked directly into their path, and the cubs and pup couldn't help bumping into its legs.

"Why excuse me, little cubs!" the antelope exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you were there!"

"Nor did we," Mheetu smiled.

"Two lion cubs and a wild dog. You don't want to eat me, do you?"

"Not today," Simba said jokingly. "Nala, tell her why we're here."

Nala smiled uneasily. "Um…we just found him on the edge of the Outlands, and uh… Why don't you, Mheetu?"

"Gladly," Mheetu grinned. "My sister and I were walking this morning, checking the edge of the Outlands, just to see what it looks like. It's an awful-looking place. I wouldn't want to live there. But we found this guy lying on the edge. He was practically dying! So Nala and I took him to a little puddle and splashed some water on his face. Now we're taking him to Pride Rock to see if the great King Mufasa will accept him."

"Well, go on ahead then, cubs," the antelope smiled graciously. As she bounded away, she shouted, "Tell the lions I said hello!"

"Will do," Nala smiled, and the three continued on their way.

"You're a smooth liar, Mheetu," Simba commented. "I should have just asked you first."

"It's a gift," the cub responded.

"Where'd you get that idea, anyway?" Simba asked.

"I simply modified that weird dream you told me about. The one where you lived in the jungle with a meerkat and warthog."

"Yeah," Simba recalled. "That was some dream."

* * *

The cubs at Pride Rock continued listening to Zazu talk, even though not a single one was truly engaged at this point.

"Tojo should be the one listening to this," Chumvi groaned. "He's the one who's gonna take care of these guys."

"Yeah," Kula agreed.

As Zazu continued to speak, Simba, Nala and Mheetu suddenly ran up to them.

"Nala! Mheetu!" Zazu squawked in surprise. "Get away from that dog at once!"

The gold-and-black puppy walked towards Zazu with a rather familiar smirk.

"Nah. I think I'll stay here, Banana Beak."

"S-S-S-Simba?" Zazu stammered.

"That's me!" the pup barked happily, wagging his tail.

"How the heck did this happen?" Chumvi asked.

_If Simba's a dog now,_ Malka thought, _maybe there's a better chance she'll start liking me…_

"You know, Simba," Tama smiled, "you look kinda pathetic as a dog."

"Hey!" Simba barked before snarling and chasing Tama.

"Okay! Okay! I take it back! I'm sorry!"

_Maybe there are some benefits to this,_ Simba smiled as he continued to chase Tama.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Plan**

About ten minutes later, the cubs and Zazu were still at Pride Rock, having recovered from the shock of Simba's transformation.

"You never _did_ tell us what happened," Chumvi remarked.

"Well," Simba explained, "Mr. I-Can't-Go-One-Day-Without-Killing-Mice here grabbed Nala so she could be here, and then he suggested that I go to Rafiki's tree to pass the time."

"_This_ can't be good," Tama muttered, shaking her head.

"So I rooted around in there a little, and I drank this weird liquid in a bowl. I fell asleep for an hour, and when I woke up… _this_ happened."

"So you're basically blaming this on Mheetu?" Tama asked in a dry, unenthusiastic manner.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's try and focus on the important things," Nala declared. "First of all, we're gonna need to find Rafiki if Simba has any hope of being a lion cub again. Also, there's something Simba needs to tell you."

"Well," Simba began, "I spied on Ibada giving a little lecture to the waterhole cubs. About how I'm going to be a bad king if they don't help me. So I dropped in, told them my name was Sparky, and now he's hired me to find Nala and bring her to them so the normal me can find her."

"Okay. I guess that makes sense," Chumvi sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

"So how are we going to do this?" Malka asked. "Any thoughts?"

"I've got a plan," Simba answered boldly. "Tama, your job is to look for Tojo. While you're there, tell Rafiki what happened. Zazu, go with Chumvi and Kula and find my dad. Malka, watch the stupid birds. Nala, Mheetu, and I will go down to the waterhole."

With the exception of Malka, everyone split up and moved in different directions to fulfill their assigned tasks. As Zazu struggled to keep up with the running Chumvi and Kula, he shook his head wearily.

"Look at me. Taking orders from the Prince of the Pride Lands, as a _dog_ no less!"

* * *

At the waterhole, Simba, Nala, and Mheetu were crouched deep in the grass.

"Mheetu, just stay down until I give you a signal. Nala, just follow me and let me do the talking."

Nala nodded in agreement.

As Ibada and Sheeta relaxed among their crowd of followers, Simba jumped out of the brush and cried out.

"Hey, guys! I got her!" he yapped, wagging his tail.

Ibada smiled. "Bring her over here," he grinned.

Nala calmly stepped out of the brush, pretending to look nervous yet strong. Simba trotted ahead, and she followed along.

"Good dog, Sparky," Ibada smiled again. "Come here, Nala. You can wait by my side while Simba takes his time to get here."

Nala merely snarled at him, but Ibada was unfazed.

"Take a look around, Nala. See all these male cubs here? The vast majority of them are looking at you."

"I always wanted to be Miss Africa," she commented dryly.

"See? I just knew you'd love it!"

Ibada then turned to face Simba.

"So, Sparky," he asked, "when do you think Simba will arrive?"

"I don't know," Simba responded. "We'll just have to wait."

* * *

"Come again, Tama?" Tojo asked the tufted girl, who he had possessed a secret crush on since the day he first laid eyes on her.

"I said, Simba has turned into a wild dog."

"How did dis happen?" Rafiki asked her.

"Well," she responded, "he went up in your tree, and drank one of your concoctions. Only you can fix it."

Rafiki grabbed his white hair with his hands and yelled so loudly it could be heard throughout the Pride Lands.

"_Simba!_"

* * *

Well, the gang has a plan, and Rafiki is now a very angry monkey. What will happen? Will Simba ever be a lion again? Will Ibada and Sheeta finally get theirs? And what about that meerkat and warthog our favorite cub dreamed about? Tune in next time to find out! Don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7

I'm so sorry for the delay! So much has gotten in the way of this. Well, it's finally time to see how this comedic little story ends! This shall be interesting…

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** I get the feeling most people have probably read your series by now. Why wouldn't they have?

**the-mysterious-other:** Only Rafiki would know…

**Emerald dreamer96:** Ibada can act nice when necessary. I'm glad you liked the reference!

**Greg M 94:** Indeed, if Rafiki comes, bad things may very well happen…

**DarthRushy:** You should be very happy. Indeed, Rafiki has gone quite a bit crazy. As for Tama and Tojo, we've got a long way to go…

**Chu10:** Did you enjoy your trip? I'm glad you liked these chapters! So the bad cubs stand out to you most, eh? I'm glad you liked my recordings too. I'm actually the first person to play Tojo, even though Disney created him…Ms. Calame never did tell me what she thought, but I'm glad she at least said hi!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Tricking the Cubs**

"So, Nala," Ibada smiled, "do you look forward to your future position?"

"_What_ future position?" Nala asked in confusion.

"The sister-in-law of the king and queen, of course!" Ibada exclaimed. "Simba marries my sister, and then you marry me! Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?"

Nala grimaced, but decided to play along. "Oh, it'll be _so_ wonderful."

Simba's finely-tuned canine ears picked up on Nala's sarcasm, but Ibada, fortunately, did not.

"Glad to hear it," he grinned.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: Simba went into Rafiki's tree, drank some sort of liquid, and turned into a dog?"

Mufasa stared quizzically as Chumvi and Kula nodded simultaneously.

Zazu stammered, "I-It's true sire. I wish I could say that it wasn't."

"Where is he right now?" Mufasa asked.

"He said for us to take you to the waterhole after finding you," Kula answered.

"All right then, let's go."

* * *

Mheetu sat crouching in the bushes, watching the action, or lack thereof, at the waterhole.

"That stupid Ibada thinks he can take my sister and position! Look at him: snuggling up to her like that! I admire his wicked ways, but he's halting my own advancement! I'll show him!"

Mheetu smiled, waiting for Simba to give him the signal.

"C'mon Simba! Do something! We can't carry on like this!"

Finally, he noticed Simba flick his paw slightly. Mheetu grinned evilly as he began to creep out of the bushes.

"Showtime!"

* * *

As Chumvi, Kula, and Zazu led him to the waterhole, Mufasa was running after them, lost in his own thoughts.

_A dog?_ he asked himself. _Why a dog? Why did Simba go in there at all? Why does Rafiki have potions like that? And why am I talking to myself in my head?_

The mighty lion continued running. If his son had truly turned into a wild dog puppy, then he definitely wanted to see for himself. Afterwards, he would make sure to get his son back to his normal state.

* * *

As Mheetu prowled into view, he exclaimed, "Ibada! It's good to see you!"

"Who are you?" Ibada asked in confusion.

"I am Nala's brother," Mheetu smiled. "Don't you know that it is Pride Lands law to ask family members before courting a lioness of the pride?"

_Wow, he is a good liar,_ Simba smiled. _I'm glad that isn't a real rule here._

"No," Ibada responded. "Why would I?"

"Of course you wouldn't," Mheetu chuckled. "You're far too stupid."

Ibada snarled at this. How dare this little weakling of a cub call him stupid!

"I come before this uneducated congregation of cubs to propose a… proposition."

"Isn't that kind of redundant?" Nala asked.

"Well, Nala, if you talk to these cubs at their intellectual level, you wouldn't sound very intellectual yourself."

"Ah," Nala smiled. There were times where she really liked her brother…

"Anyway, as I was saying, I have a proposition for you all. If you let my sister go, I can help you find Simba. I know where he is."

Simba's eyes widened in horror.

_He better not tell them the_ real_ truth_, he snarled internally. _If he does, then he's gonna go into Rafiki's tree himself._

The silence was broken when Chumvi, Kula, Zazu and Mufasa all arrived on the scene. The waterhole cubs cowered to the ground in fear.

"P-p-please don't hurt us, Mufasa!" a cub whined melodramatically.

"We didn't do anything! We don't even know where Simba is!" a female cub cried.

_They don't know that's Simba_, Mufasa realized. _Well, I guess I'll play along. I'll show Scar I can be smart, too! Won't he be impressed?_

"I won't hurt you," Mufasa declared. "I simply want to know where Simba is. And I also want to know why you are holding Nala like that."

"Sir," Ibada began, "remember how we discussed betrothing my sister to your son? I'm simply settling in and taking the most beautiful girl in the pride for myself."

"Let go of her. _Now_," Mufasa ordered. Ibada reluctantly complied. Nala bounced over to Mheetu.

"What's your plan?" she whispered in his ear.

"I'm gonna lead them to Tojo," he explained. "He looks so much like Simba; they'll think he just got dust on his fur or something."

"Good plan," Nala nodded. She then pranced back to Mufasa, and repeated Mheetu's words in his ear.

"Cubs," Mufasa declared, "now that you've let go of Nala, Mheetu will lead you to my son. I will be watching you."

Mheetu then lead them off, and Ibada and Sheeta, along with about five others, followed him. As soon as they were gone, Simba and Nala climbed on Mufasa's back. The three then ran towards Rafiki's tree.

* * *

"There he is!" Mheetu whispered, pointing as Tojo walked alongside Rafiki. "Now go get him! But remember: Mufasa is watching."

The cubs then crept out of the brush, slowly moving towards them, before leaping at Tojo at once

"Hey! Get off me!" Tojo squeaked.

"We're not letting go, Simba," Ibada smiled. "Not until you accept Sheeta here as your bride and leave Nala to me!"

"I'm not Simba!" Tojo exclaimed.

"_What?_" Ibada roared. The cubs stopped and inspected Tojo more closely. No, his fur was not dirty in the slightest. It just so happened to be a different color, meaning that the cub indeed was not Simba.

"That little slimeball tricked us!" another cub shrieked.

"Where is he?" Ibada asked in anger as he scanned for any sign of the grayish-white cub, but Mheetu had already fled.

"He's gone!" Ibada growled. "We'll find him and Simba both. Then we'll pound them good!"

Before Ibada could move, he was knocked out by a large stick with a pair of gourds hanging from it. When the other cubs reacted, they too were knocked out, one by one, Sheeta included, until not one of them was conscious.

"How did you do that, Rafiki?" Tojo asked the baboon in admiration.

"It's a gift," the baboon smiled.

* * *

An hour later, a certain gold-and-black pup was in Rafiki's tree as the old baboon created a new concoction.

"Let dis be a lesson to you, Simba," Rafiki smiled. "When you mess with Rafiki's potions, disaster results!"

"From now on, I'll only come here if invited or injured," Simba promised.

"Glad to hear it," Rafiki grinned. "Now, take a drink."

Simba lapped up the liquid eagerly, sighing happily as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, the cubs were all sitting around, listening to a golden-furred lion cub with brown eyes and a mischievous smile tell the tale of what had happened in the past few hours.

"And then I fell asleep. When I woke up again, Dad had carried me all the way back here. I'm normal again!"

Just then, a thin cracking sound could be heard. Everyone looked at the nest, only to discover five little blue-feathered heads poking out.

"_Cheep! Cheep! Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!_"

"My birds!" Tojo smiled. "They've hatched!"

Everyone smiled, even Mheetu.

"I wonder what they'd look like when plucked…" he said to himself. Nala jabbed him with an elbow.

Simba smiled as well. "I think we can all say that this day was pretty cool!"

* * *

It's finally over! What did you think of it? Don't forget to review!

**Next Time:** Simba's three worst enemies decide to team up, and this time, they have an especially sinister plan in mind…


End file.
